There is nothing worse than opening a bag of flour or a box of cereal and seeing disgusting
bugs crawling around inside.
These are pantry pests, or stored product pests, and they’re a lot more common than
you might think.
So in this video, I’ll show you step by step how you can spot and treat for pantry
pests, and how to prevent them from coming back.
Hi, I’m Colin with Solutions Pest and Lawn.
If you’re new to us, we create these videos to help educate people like you about DIY
pest control.
For the products shown in this video and to learn even more about pantry pest control,
click the card on the top right of the screen or click the links in the description below.
While pantry pests don’t harm people or pets, they will contaminate and spoil food
and they'll spread through your pantry quickly.
So we’ll go ahead jump right in with first identifying and inspecting for pantry pests.
There are many different insects that can be considered pantry pests.
These are insects that will infest dry foods typically stored in boxes or bags.
Things like cereal, dry pasta, corn, flour, rice and other grains, spices, bird seed,
and even dried fruit and dry pet food.
The most common pantry pests you will see are indian meal moths, flour beetles, grain
beetles, and weevils.
To confirm pantry pest activity, look around your pantries or where foodstuff is stored.
Having bugs in the kitchen is pretty common, so spotting a tiny bug crawling across countertop
is not enough; you really want to focus on that stored food.
And the best way to confirm activity is to look for the adult pantry pests themselves.
So keep an eye out for moths in or around the pantry and bugs crawling around in stored
food.
Be sure to also check any cupboards, drawers, and shelving.
You can sometimes find eggs, skin shells, or larvae in cracks and crevices along shelving
or in food.
But these are extremely small, sometimes invisible to the naked eye, so really it’s best to
look for the adults.
When you're checking your food, look closely for any signs of movement because some adult
pantry pests are tiny, sometimes only two or three millimeters long and can be easy
to miss.
In fact, here is a piece of corn from a bag of mixed grains that we bought that was infested
with flat grain beetles.
You can see how small this dead beetle is.
Here are some crawling on the table after pouring some of the grain out.
Weevils are a little bigger and easier to spot.
We found this guy crawling around a second bag of mixed grain.
Now, you might be wondering, “how did I get pantry pests in the first place?”
While it is possible for some pests like moths or weevils can come in from outside, the most
likely reason is that you bought infested food at the grocery store and brought them
in.
Most of the time, that bag of flour or rice you just bought was harboring these pests.
Even if you didn’t see the adults crawling around, the eggs and larvae could have been
in there, going unnoticed.
Don’t forget, you can learn more and get your professional pesticides for pantry pest
control by clicking the link in the description below.
Now that you have confirmed pantry pest activity, it’s time to begin treatment.
The first thing you need to do is throw out all of your contaminated food.
We know it’s hard throwing away that ten pound bag of rice you just bought, but pantry
pest infestations can spread rapidly.
Now, you can go through and check all of your food packaging for signs of damage or activity,
but it's really best to just throw away all of your boxed or bagged dry foodstuff.
Because if one package is infested, it’s safe to assume they all are.
After you’ve thrown the food out, completely remove everything else from the pantry.
Next, vacuum all cracks and crevices in the pantry shelving or cabinets.
If your shelving is adjustable, clean out the peg holes with a toothpick and vacuum.
These tight spaces are notorious for collecting moth eggs and webbing.
Be sure to throw out the vacuum’s bag or clean the canister when you’re done.
Then wipe all of the pantry’s shelving with mild soap and water to clean up any food residue.
By sanitizing your pantry and food storage and throwing out all of the contaminated food,
you’ll be cutting off the head of your pantry pest infestation.
Next, it’s time for chemical control.
You’ll need a combination of aerosol insecticide and glue traps.
And please do not forget your personal protective equipment, when using pesticides, especially
in tight confined spaces like pantries.
First, use Novacide aerosol.
Novacide is an aerosol insecticide that is labeled to control common pantry pests like
rice weevils, saw toothed grain beetles, and moths, but it will also control many other
pests in the home, such as ants, fleas, ticks, and cockroaches.
What’s great about Novacide is that it has a long lasting residual and a built in insect
growth regulator.
This is key, because not only will it kill any adult pests that come into contact with
it, but it will also stop young insects growing into adults, breaking the pest’s life cycle
and stopping a re-infestation.
Shake the can well and hold at a downward angle.
You’re going to just spot treat the back and sides of the shelving all the way around
the pantry.
Spot spray the shelving in quick bursts so a fine mist is applied.
If you have cracks and crevices where the shelf meets the wall, then the Novacide will
treat these areas, killing any pests that might be harboring there.
When you're done, don’t re-enter or allow others to enter the treated area until dry
and the vapors have dispersed.
You can restock your pantry once it's dried.
Next, use a Pro Pest Pantry Moth and Beetle Traps.
This is a ready to use, pesticide-free trap that uses a pheromone scented glue board to
trap pantry pests.
Simply remove the protecting paper from the pre-baited glue and fold the trap into a pyramid
shape.
Place the trap on the pantry shelving where it won’t get smashed and will be left generally
undisturbed and out of the reach of children and pets.
The trap’s pheromone bait will lure adult pantry pests to the trap where they will get
stuck in the glue.
This is a great, low effort tool that will last between 60 and 90 days.
And one trap will cover around 100 square feet.
Finally, for stubborn pantry pests that slip by previous treatments, use Pyrid.
This is an aerosol insecticide that is labeled for many pests and delivers a quick kill.
Unlike Novacide, Pyrid does not leave a residual but is instead used as a knockdown spray.
This can be applied as a direct or space spray to any pests in the pantry.
Pyrid is safe to use in pantries that hold packaged foods, but please remember to remove
any food that the spray could come into direct contact with.
Also don’t forget to cover up any dishes, utensils, or cooking equipment before spraying
or wash them thoroughly after spraying.
Just like with Novacide, don’t re-enter or allow others to enter the area until it's
dry and the vapors have dispersed.
And when spraying any aerosol product, please be mindful of any open flames or hot surfaces
as the propellants in the aerosols are extremely flammable.
Get these products today by clicking the icon in the top right corner of the screen where
you can easily find each of these products.
We will also have links to the products in the description below.
Once you’ve finished treating your pantry, it’s time to start thinking about prevention.
If you’ve followed the control steps then you’re off to a great start.
Novacide’s long residual and IGR will go a long way in keeping your
pantry free of any pests.
And the Pro Pest traps are good for up to 3 months, so switching them out quarterly
will take care of any adult pantry pests that is brought in.
Here are some other prevention tips: If you can, buy only about a week or two’s
worth of food at a time.
Pantries that hold foods for extended periods of time are more likely to see an infestation.
When buying dry foods at the grocery store, take a look at the packaging.
If you see any holes, rips, tears, or other openings, don’t
buy that package.
And when storing food, it is best to keep it in tight-fitting or sealed containers.
Put cereals, rice, and flour in containers that can be air-sealed.
This is especially true for dry pet food.
Pet food and bird seed are often overlooked and extremely conducive for pantry pests,
so put your pet’s food in containers.
Be sure to visit our website for an in-depth pantry pest control guide and to get access to each of these
products.
We guarantee that these products 100%, and
we also offer same day shipping to help you get control quickly.
Solutions is a small family owned business, and we rely on referrals from customers like
you.
So if you liked this how to guide and when the products work for you, please share and
tell your friends and family about us.
I’m Colin with Solutions Pest and Lawn.
Ask us how, then do it yourself.